Processors Toolkit

Wiring London's flagship

Peter Judge ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 25 Nov 2002 12:04 GMT

Changing data technologies

The move to the new building allowed the GLA to move to better data and voice networks.

For data, it uses 17 Foundry switches in wiring closets on each floor. Fibres in the risers carry redundant Gigabit links between floors, while each floor has copper 10/100 cables to the desktop. The exceptions are the top two of City Hall's nine floors, which are smaller - both are fed from the seventh floor wiring closets. The eighth floor is the Mayor's office while the ninth is the "Living Room for London", a space with panoramic views for public meetings.

The GLA uses VLANs to separate traffic for different groups, and also runs multicast video on the network. The GLA televises its public meetings, using remote controlled cameras in the chambers. Three video feeds are broadcast using IP multicast, so any of the staff can keep up with the GLA's business. This service is handled by special purpose Cisco IP TV boxes.

Meetings are recorded, and the Authority is planning to offer staff the chance to view meetings at a later date, with a video on demand service. "The videos are very popular with the Members," says Beddard.

A new voice network

"There is a lot of pressure from vendors to go to IP telephony," says Beddard, but in his view the benefits were not compelling enough to risk fouling up the opening of the building. "If you have a network glitch, then you have no phone," he says. "People are used to PCs stopping, but expect their phone to work."

The GLA looked for a solution that would let them use conventional TDM digital handsets, but move to IP when they were ready. "Not many applications depend on IP telephony," says Beddard. "At the moment, there is little in the way of benefits, apart from simplicity of administration -- you need the same skills for both networks."

The GLA settled on PBX veteran Mitel, which offers a unified messaging system (that GLA has yet to adopt) and a product which supports both LAN and TDM switching in one box, so the Authority can move some phones over to the LAN whenever it is ready. Beddard is impressed with the voice activated attendant, which can put callers through to a person if they ask for them by name.

When the public call, they now reach a call centre (with eight staff) in the GLA building itself. This is managed using Mitel's ACD application.